Monday, September 8, 2014

Conversations Under Low Light

"Could you turn out the lights? "
"I will, if you ask me nicely. "
"Haha sure. Turn out the lights."
"Okay. "

"So, what are you thinking. "
"Nothing as such. Just some blank thoughts. What about you? "
"Ah likewise. But I am enjoying this darkness. And being with you makes it even better. "
"Hmm."

"Well let's talk about things. "
"About what? "
"Well you know, things. "
"Err okay... like? "
"Like us. "
"Yeah sure. What about us? "
"The usual, you know. We meet every night at this hour, sit together and talk, I enjoy it. "
"It sure is a good time I have. "
"Remember the day when we met for the first time?"
"I do remember. "

"Hmm... It was great how you identified me uniquely out from the crowd. "

"It was meant to happen that way. Same school and all that.. "

"Perhaps. But I am so used to stay invisible you know. It's like people around me, don't even know that I am there, you know. Sometimes I want to complain and randomly pick fights with strangers. "

"We crave for attention without knowing its implications. It happens a lot many times. "
"True. But sometimes, you know. "
"I can understand."
"I hope you continue to do so always. "
"I will. "
"Thank you. "
"After all, who else, if not me? "
"Well there's this guy in my school, he was a senior. I used to like him once, I wish he would notice me. Used to get his attention. Never really worked, you see. He would be sunk deep in studies. "

"So you fancy the nerdy type? "
"Oh shut up, he wasn't a nerd. Just that he seemed a bit too focused. "
"Yet he missed you? "
"Yeah well, his loss you see. "
"I wouldn't really call it his loss. "
"Why would you say that?"
"Because maybe if you could make yourself more presentable in front of him, making your presence felt, he would surely have responded. "
"But I did try to talk to him. He never looked up. Used to think something is not right about him. But that's what I liked about him as well, you see. "

"So he didn't listen ?"
"Not sure. At least he didn't respond , you know. "
"And what did your friends have to say about this incident? "
"Never really spoke to them about him. I was afraid they'd spread the word, you see. "

"Mia."

"Yes? "

"It's time to go home. "

"What, why? "

"You realize that it's late. "

"I can leave tomorrow morning, like always. "

"No, I meant you have to go. "

"I will, but tomorrow. What's gotten into you, Bill? "

"You don't understand, do you?"

"What do you mean? "

"Mia, why did you not tell your friends about this guy? "

"I told you right, I couldn't, I was embarrassed. "

"But you didn't tell me as well. "
"Bill, you were my junior in school, and we had met only a few times . Surely you cannot hope me to share my crush stories with you, so early in our friendship. "
"Mia. You used to share everything with your friends."

"I know but--"

"Mia, don't you get it? You had stopped sharing your thoughts with your friends after a point of time. "

"Who said that? I used to! I--"
"And you used to tell me everything, even after you stopped talking to others after a point of time."
"I am not sure what is the reason behind this sudden outburst of yours. "
"Mia. You have to go. You. Have. To. Go. "

"I will but I like to stay with you. You understand me so well. I enjoy every minute of our conversations ,every single night. "

"There's a reason why you stopped speaking to your friends. "

"I don't --"

"Mia , you've been dead for the past three years. "

"What? That's not true. That's not true. "

"It is the truth. The truth is, you are trapped in this world, because of your unfulfilled love for that senior of yours. "

"But-- I--"

"You have to come to terms with this, Mia. You have to. You need to go. You need to leave. You have to find peace. In the afterlife, Mia. "

"No! No! Please don't say these things! OH PLEASE! "

"You will feel a sharp pain in your temple. And when I will turn the lights on, you will be gone. I am sorry Mia, I had to do this. It is for your own good. " (approaches the light switch)

"No wait, wait. Please-- You did say that I would speak to you, right? How is it then that I was dead and I could speak to you? I am alive see? This proves that I am alive ! Flesh and bones, I am-- please don't do-- please --"

"There's a reason for that, Mia. You could speak to me, because.. " (turns on the light)

" I see dead people. "

Near his bed, Bill finds his notebook, he picks it up. A list of names can be seen. Few of them are crossed out. He finds her name and crosses it out with a sigh.

Each name in the list have three more fields. Date of birth , date of death and cause of death. Bill looks at Mia's details, one last time.